Thirty and Single.

Chapter 6.

"Uh... it's nothing," I said quickly when Colton asked, my voice higher than usual.

Paisley gave me a look, that look. The kind that tells you someone's holding back a tsunami of truth and is just waiting for the right moment to let it all crash down.

And then it happened.

"Er... Genesis likes you!"

Just like that. She said it.

My heart sank, and my stomach flipped so fast I thought I'd be sick. Time froze. The music, the chatter, the club it all vanished into a thick fog of embarrassment. My mouth fell open, but no words came out. I looked at Colton.

He stared at me, stunned. Not smirking. Not smiling. Just... processing.

The silence between us was deafening.

"I think... we should go home," I mumbled, barely above a whisper.

None of us argued.

The drive back was painfully quiet. Paisley sat in the back, uncharacteristically silent, occasionally glancing at me through the rear view mirror. Colton drove, his hands tight on the wheel. The soft hum of the engine was the only sound for miles. Not even the radio played.

When we finally pulled into the lot, I was out of the car almost before it stopped.

"Uh... have a good night, guys," I said quickly, avoiding eye contact.

I didn't give them time to respond. I just walked to my door and slipped inside, shutting it behind me like I was barricading myself from the world.

Once inside, I headed straight for the wine cellar. I poured a glass of red. Then another. By the third, I could feel the buzz humming through my limbs, softening the sting of humiliation.

Still, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Why did she do that?

Everything had been going so well. Colton and I were growing close, really close. We had this rhythm, this unspoken bond. And now... now I didn't know what to think.

I sighed, stripping off my dress and stepping into a cold shower, hoping it would shock the awkwardness out of me.

It didn't.

I went to bed with a heavy heart and a spinning head.

The next morning, I drove out to see the one person who always knew what to say, my mom.

When she opened the door and saw me standing there, her face lit up like it was Christmas morning.

"Wow! I am so glad you came home. I missed you, baby," she said, pulling me into a warm, grounding hug.

"I missed you too, Mom," I said, breathing in the familiar scent of vanilla and ginger. Home.

We settled into the living room, the cozy old couch creaking beneath us as we talked. She was her usual curious self.

"Genesis, are you really eating?"

I rolled my eyes affectionately. "Yes, Mom. I eat."

"You're too skinny, baby," she said with a frown, brushing a strand of hair from my face like I was still ten.

I smiled weakly but didn't argue. Instead, I went to the kitchen, and the smell of baked ginger cookies greeted me like an old friend. I took one. Then another.

That's when she appeared in the doorway, watching me.

"You alright?" she asked, her tone shifting from casual to concerned.